


Conan's Camping Trip

by Phantoms_Echo



Series: Sentinel&Guide Universe [8]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Attempted Mind Rape, Author never thought they'd use that tag, Because it's Detective Conan, Camping, Complete, G!Hakuba, G!Kaito, Guide Shock, Hostage Situations, Its just attempted though dont worry, M/M, Mind Rape, S!Conan, S!Hattori, Sentinel Rage, Shounen Tantei-dan Special!, Turned Murder Scene, camping trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22191631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantoms_Echo/pseuds/Phantoms_Echo
Summary: The weekend of the fated camping trip with the Shounen Tantei-dan has Conan bummed. Instead of attending KID's latest heist and unraveling the thief's tricks, Conan finds himself washing dishes and setting up tents as 'punishment' for skipping on the kids after school.However, his wish for excitement will be answered in the worst way possible. What was supposed to be a fun weekend in the outdoors, will turn into a fight for his life.
Relationships: Hakuba Saguru/Hattori Heiji, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Series: Sentinel&Guide Universe [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/791814
Comments: 100
Kudos: 1010





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS - Yaaay! New update to my SGN series! Not sure if it will meet expectation, but we'll get a look at Conan's camping trip that he missed KID's heist for and what shenanigans he got up to there! :)
> 
> You will also notice that I am posting other fandom oneshots during my updates for this. They are not being posted in any particular order, just whichever one I finish editing first. So you still have time to [vote in the poll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17474012/chapters/41151446) for which fandom I work in next. :) I've gotten a lot of votes so far and don't currently have a tie (let's keep it that way, yeah?)
> 
> Anyway, enough self-advertisement! On to the story!

It was the night of the promised camp out.

The kids and Haibara had worked on dinner while Conan and Agasa had been tasked with setting up all the tents. The kids looked smug, but Conan didn’t care. He’d put up enough tents with his family and Agasa that he had the process down to a science.

While dinner had simmered, they had played a couple rounds of soccer to tire the kids out. Conan couldn’t help checking his phone a couple times throughout the day. The heist notice was still clear in his mind. Soon, KID would be performing his trick and Conan wouldn’t be there to unravel it.

He still wanted to see it regardless.

“Conan-kun!” Ayumi whined. “The ball went right past you!”

“Huh?” Conan looked up, then around, spying the ball further in the trees. “O-oh! Sorry, Ayumi-chan!”

“What are you checking your phone for?” Mitsuhiko asked as Conan ran to retrieve the ball. “Is Ran-nee-chan supposed to call you?”

“He’s waiting for the time a certain thief will start his heist.” Haibara’s smile was too smug. “Isn’t that right, KID Killer-san?”

“Waaaah?!” Genta let out a shocked cry. “Kaitou KID had a heist tonight?”

“Nooo!” Ayumi pressed her fists to her chest. “Ayumi wanted to go!”

“M-maybe we can still make it?” Mitsuhiko counted on his fingers, trying to estimate time of arrival.

“No, he’s going to start at sunset,” Conan said, returning with the ball. “By the time we drive back, it’ll be midnight.”

The kids groaned.

“But, that doesn’t mean we can’t watch the live feed,” Conan said, holding up his phone. “I’ve got enough data to watch it tonight.”

The kids cheered.

“I thought this was supposed to be a punishment,” Haibara grumbled.

“For me, not them.” Conan shot her a smug look. “I may not be able to go to the heist, but that doesn’t mean I can’t watch it.”

“And it gives you a good reason not to go after the thief,” Haibara reminded him quietly. “After all, it would be weird for KID Killer not to try his hardest to capture KID.”

Conan scowled. As much as he didn’t like it, she was right. If he was to Bond with the thief at some point, the thief had to be around to actually _Bond_. Being in a jail cell was a no-go, as far as Conan was concerned. It sure made it hard to keep up appearances though.

And the whole Bonding issue hadn’t been brought up yet. Conan didn’t know if Kaito actually _needed_ a Sentinel or if he’d be willing to consider Conan. As far as Conan could tell, the thief was doing quite well on his own, so long as he stayed away from crime scenes. He might be worse off with Conan, for as much as he found himself surrounded by homicide. It wasn’t like Conan could just give up deductions.

Conan winced at the thought.

The next time he saw Kaito, he would have to sit him down and actually _ask_ , because Conan had a habit of assuming a lot of things.

Kaito had offered his help, but he might not have intended it in reference to a Bond. Whatever it was, Conan needed to ask soon. If he needed to find another Rank A Guide, he needed to start looking now.

The next time Hattori came around, Conan was sure Kaito would follow. He’d ask him then. If Kaito didn’t drop by before, that is.

Conan must have been taking too long to respond. He found himself shaken from his thoughts moments later.

“Oi.” Haibara nudged him. “You didn’t go into a Zone, right?”

Conan scowled. “Can’t a guy just get quiet sometimes?”

“Not when that guy has started to grow immune to his medication,” she hissed. Haibara cast a glance at the kids, but they were still talking about KID’s upcoming heist. “I’ve noticed you burn through it in five hours now instead of seven.”

“Just means I have to up the dosage,” Conan said with a shrug.

“As a chemist and quasi-medical professional, I can’t let you do that.” Haibara’s eyes narrowed. “Taking as much as you do now is dangerous. Adding _more_ would be deadly.”

Conan gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. He knew his predicament wasn’t good, but he thought he’d have more time. Hattori had lasted a year and a half before the medication wasn’t enough. By the rate Conan was going, he would be lucky to last _half_ that time.

“Is it because of the Apotoxin?” Conan murmured, thinking hard.

“Could be. If your body is building up an immunity to the antidote, it may be doing the same for Senes-5.” Haibara worried her lip in thought. “It would definitely aggravate the problem for sure.”

Conan ran a harried hand through his hair. “There’s nothing I can really do, though. I need Senes to be able to function normally.”

“I’ll see if I can’t tweak the formula when we get home.” She gave him a stern look. “In the meantime, I would suggest you switch to Senes-4. It won’t be as potent, but it may give you enough time for Senes-5 to be effective again. It will also keep Senes-5’s minimum time to five hours, in case you _really_ need it.”

“I’ll have to do that when I get back home,” he said. “I only brought enough 4 for tonight and tomorrow night.”

“What’s tomorrow night?” Ayumi asked.

Conan froze up, but Haibara managed to find a suitable answer. “Edogawa-kun and I were talking about stargazing tomorrow. Tonight is cloudy, but we think tomorrow should clear up.”

“Star gazing?!” All three kids chimed in amazing synchronism.

“But _only_ if it’s clear,” Haibara reminded them.

“We should hang Teru Teru Bozu!” Ayumi suggested.

“But don’t we need a window for that?” Genta asked.

“The professor’s car has windows…” Mitsuhiko said with a thoughtful look.

“We can hang them there!” Ayumi gushed excitedly.

“Yeah!” Genta agreed.

Conan laughed and rolled his eyes. Kids…

The few hours before KID’s heist passed quickly. Soon, they found the sun setting, the time described in KID’s notice. Excitedly, they all gathered around Conan’s phone, eager to watch the show that was about to begin.

The screen showed the same museum Conan had been in last week, before KID canceled his show. Not much had changed, though the lights seemed slightly brighter. Probably a trick of the camera.

He spied Hattori and Hakuba in the crowd. A brief wave of jealousy hit him, but he weathered it. He had been neglecting the kids, which is why he was here in the first place. By the look on Hattori’s face, he’d rather not be there either. Conan would trade him places in a heartbeat.

The countdown began. Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko quietly chanted as the seconds ticked down on the clock. Then the lights went out and a surprised shout came from the crowd and-!

KID, standing on a bar of clear glass beneath a spotlight. The bar was nearly transparent, just barely able to be seen on screen. In the next moment, it and all the others around it burst into light. The image of KID surrounded by floating beams of light…

Conan’s breath caught in his throat.

He knew, logically, that it was probably reinforced lightbulbs from the many casings in the ceiling, strung up on extra-strength invisible wire. He knew, logically, that KID had practiced hard over the course of weeks if not months to balance on the filaments without holding on to the cabling and breaking the illusion. He knew, logically, that there was a mundane explanation for every piece of the thief’s performance that night.

That didn’t stop his heart from leaping into his throat or keep his eyes from widening in delight as KID danced along the beams, lighter than air. It was like the thief had stolen the very _sun_ to include it in his display.

What? His mother loved dramatics. He had learned to appreciate the effort if nothing else.

The camera tracked KID around the room as he performed his aerial feat, but Conan’s attention wandered when he spotted a familiar pair again. His eyes caught on Hattori and Hakuba whenever the camera caught sight of them.

Their reaction to KID’s performance was weird.

Hakuba first looked determined, like he did at every heist, but as the trick persisted, his face paled, determination replaced with bafflement, then despair. It was out of the ordinary. Hakuba was usually unflappable when in his element, so there had to be something else going on behind the scenes that the camera couldn’t catch.

The way Hattori glared at KID, but didn’t move to catch him said the same.

KID got the gem and avoided the Taskforce until he was trapped over his crowd. Nakamori was crowing victoriously, but even Conan could see where this was going next. Sure enough, KID dropped into the arms of his waiting fans and disappeared.

Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta gasped in surprise, but Conan could only roll his eyes at the thief’s antics. The heist, while flashy and an impressive display of athletic ability, held no deep trick for Conan to uncover. Nothing except the way Hakuba had reacted to something unseen.

Oh, how he wished he could have _been_ there, in order to experience what Hattori had and unravel the mystery not caught on camera.

Alas, he had made a promise and Haibara would kill him if he broke it.

“Okay, okay.” Haibara calmed the kids with a few claps of her hands. “KID’s show was fun, but we need to get to bed if we want to make the most of tomorrow.”

The kids groaned, but followed her prompting. She turned to Conan with a pointed look. “Don’t forget to take your medicine.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Conan waved her off, going to do that first. He was starting to feel the itch under his skin and the ringing in his ears from oversensitivity. He was careful to never take the next dose of Senes before the other wore off, but it was a fine line between wearing off and Zoning out. He’d rather not get caught in a Zone out in the middle of nowhere in full view of the kids.

That wouldn’t be good on _so_ many levels.

He swallowed the pill with a mouthful of water and waited for his senses to dull again. The itching died down and the faint scents of animals faded from his nose, but the brightening of the sky around him didn’t dim.

“Looks like sight tonight,” he decided. “Not so bad.”

It was better than hearing, with the way Agasa and Genta snored. If his eyes started to bother him, he could just cover his head with his sleeping bag. Better night vision was also beneficial in and of itself.

Putting his water bottle away for now, he got ready for bed. Soon, all of the kids were laying down to sleep. Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko were whispering about staying up all night telling ghost stories. Not twenty minutes later, Conan found them passed out in a circle, Genta only half on his sleeping bag.

Conan and Haibara shared an amused look before retiring to their own sleeping bags for the night. Conan fell asleep within seconds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS - Hey there everyone! :D It's so nice to be back in the SGN 'verse. I forgot how much I love this AU. I might have to play with it more... maybe in other fandoms? :) I might have to do that.
> 
> This week's companion oneshot comes from the Danny Phantom fandom. Again, the order of oneshots is not indicative of their order on the poll, nor is the content indicative of the stories I still have planned for them. Each oneshot is completely separate unto itself. :) So don't worry about any spoilers.
> 
> Anyway, let's get into the chapter, yeah?

_He was in a forest with the brightest night sky above him. Stars dotted the black silk, so bright he would have thought them fake, but he knew better. This far away from the city and its light pollution, the sky could really outshine anything. It was almost blinding… or was it just his eyes? Some quiet part of him knew they were sensitive, but he forgot why._

_He lay in the grass, staring at the sky, content. A few blades brushed his cheek as a light wind blew through the clearing._

_A cooing reached his ears, the type belonging to a familiar white bird._

_Strange. He had never seen a dove in the forest. It made sense that they could be there. The forest was home to many wildlife. And doves had to live somewhere before they lived in cities. It was still odd to him._

_The cooing came again, sounding distressed._

_He frowned and sat up, eyes searching the forest._

_The coo called once more. His gaze followed what his ears heard. He got to his feet with the intent to follow._

_Had the dove gotten caught somewhere? No, he figured it would be more frantic in its calls then. And what was there out here that could trap it, but not kill?_

_The coo echoed through the forest as he left his clearing. It was both forever and a second later that he found the thing, perched in a small bush. At the sight, he snorted, barely able to keep from laughing out right._

_The dove startled at the sound and gave him a very unimpressed look, but it only made the sight funnier._

_He wasn’t sure how, but the bird had ended up covered in mud. There were flecks of it all along its stomach, wings and face. They were delicate, like they were painted on rather than splashed randomly, but against stark white feathers, it looked rather silly._

_His mind didn’t even toy with the idea that someone else had went through the painstaking task of covering the dove. It had done this to itself._

_“What are you trying to do?” he asked as he walked up. “Become an owl?”_

_The dove ruffled its feathers and flicked its head. It gave a sharp coo._

_“Yeah, yeah. Come here.” He reached out to gingerly pick it up. He sank to his knees and placed the bird in his lap to work._

_The mud crumbled beneath his fingers, but seemed to get caught in the doves many feathers. He slowly worked on the wings, so that the dove would at least be able to fly off if needed. He had just finished digging out the last crumb of dirt from the dove’s wing when someone called his name-!_

* * * * *

“Conan! Wake up!” A hand shoved his shoulder vigorously, rousing him from his dream. “Up! Up! Up! It’s breakfast time!”

He groaned and rolled over to find Ayumi staring down at him, far too cheerful for how early it was. Had the sun even risen yet?

He would think so for how bright it was, but then he remembered that his eyesight was still dialed up. it could be any time of day for him.

His watch said 6 am. He groaned and rolled back over as Ayumi went to wake the others.

“Oi. Wake up.” Haibara nudged him with the heel of her foot. “You need to take your next dose. You can’t afford to be late.”

Ah, right. Senes-5.

He’d been taking it for months now. He should have fallen into a routine by this point. Sadly, he usually had to rely on Haibara or Ran to remind him to take his ‘medicine’. It was lower on his priority list than it should be.

Haibara nudged him again.

With another sigh, he rolled back over and sat up. The light was starting to get brighter around him and the excited talking amongst the kids was starting to sound like trumpets and drums. He winced.

Haibara was right. He couldn’t afford to be late.

Digging the pill bottle from his overnight bag, he doled out what he needed and swallowed the pill with water. He waited a few minutes as his sight dimmed and his clothes turned from itchy to soft against his skin.

He double-checked his watch for the time and did some quick math. As long as he remembered to take the next pill at noon, he should make it through the day.

Breakfast was a short affair, with everyone giving a helping hand. It seemed like the kids had forgotten his punishment, or had decided that Conan couldn’t be trusted with cooking. Honestly, Conan couldn’t blame them if it were the latter.

After breakfast, the kids wanted to go bug-hunting in the woods around their clearing. When Conan went to supervise them, however, he was turned away.

“Conan is in charge of washing dishes!” Mitsuhiko declared with a smug grin.

“Yeah! Cause he skipped out on us so many times!” Genta agreed. “It’s his punishment!”

“Ah, but! He won’t be able to find the big bugs!” Ayumi looked between them, concerned.

“He’ll just have to join us another time.” Haibara flashed him a sly grin before turning back to the kids. “I’ll go with you though. It wouldn’t be fair to have the boys outnumber the girls.”

Ayumi visibly brightened and the matter was settled, much to Conan’s despair. Bug-catching would always rank above washing dishes, no matter how old he got.

By the look on Haibara’s face, she knew that.

Sighing, Conan turned away and got to work as they took off into the words. It would probably be an hour or so before they got bored or caught an impressive one and brought it back to show him.

Haibara would be upset if the dishes were still dirty by then.

So he got to work, scrubbing the dishes and utensils in lukewarm water. He dropped them into another bin with watered down bleach to sanitize. It was a thoughtless process, _scrub, rinse, sanitize_ , so mindless he debated falling asleep again, when something grabbed his attention. Movement out of the corner of his eye prompted him to look up.

In a bush, just on the edge of the campsite, a strange looking bird stared at him. Due to its coloring, he would have called it an owl. At second glance though, it didn’t have the mass and head shape of an owl. Its eyes were on the side of its head, not the front, designating it a prey animal.

But what prey animal had coloring like that?

The world started to blur as his eyes narrowed in. He blinked to clear his vision, then startled.

The bird was gone.

“What…?” he muttered to himself. He set down the sponge and the plate he had been cleaning and got to his feet.

“Are you done, Shinichi-kun?” Agasa asked from where he was inspecting the tents.

“Hah!” Conan stumbled at his voice, forgetting the professor had been there with him. Sheepishly, he turned back. “Oh, uh… not yet?”

“Where were you going?” Agasa asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Nowhere!” Conan waved his hands emphatically. “Just… thought I saw something weird!”

“Uh-huh.” Agasa gave him a deadpanned look. “You sure you weren’t sneaking off?”

“And leave you with the dishes?” Conan scowled down at the wash station. “I would _never_ do that.”

“ _Sure_ you wouldn’t,” Agasa said with a pointed look.

Hey, it wasn’t Conan’s fault! That time, he had _actually_ been six and gotten distracted by a Hercules beetle! It was a totally valid reason. Agasa should learn to let go.

Settling in front of the tubs, Conan picked up the sponge and finished the last of the plates. As he dropped the last one into the sanitizing solution, he heard a quiet coo.

There, on the other side of the wash bin, was the bird.

 _Dove_ , he decided at another coo.

The coloring he had seen before was actually mud –a lot of it. But it wasn’t carelessly thrown on and it didn’t look like the dove had taken a splash in a puddle. No, it looked more blatant, painted on. It covered the poor bird from head to toe, its wings being the only exception.

Who would do something like this to a small animal?

_(The faint memory of digging dirt out of feathers tickled his fingertips, but it faded too quickly for him to recognize.)_

Conan thought about calling Agasa over, but he didn’t want to scare the dove away by accident. Instead, he reached out slowly, silently willing the dove not to fly off.

The dove eyed his hand warily and took two steps back when he got too close, but Conan halted before it could get antsy. He frowned, wondering what he was supposed to do now. With his arm stretched out over the wash bin and the dove just out of reach, he made a pretty silly picture. And he was no closer to catching the filthy bird.

Then the dove solved the problem on its own and hopped up onto his wrist.

Conan blinked in surprise. Its talons were light on his skin, not quite piercing, but holding tightly none-the-less. When he pulled his arm back, the dove wobbled and beat its wings, but didn’t flutter off.

Strange… was this someone’s pet? It seemed pretty domesticated. Maybe there was someone out there looking for it? It would have to be the same person that had painted it with the mud. The dove was too wary to hold still for someone to put mud on it. Then again, it had taken to him just fine.

Frowning, he decided to focus on one thing at a time.

He carefully settled the dove into his lap and reached for the sponge. The soap in the bin was Dawn, something commonly used during oil spills to wash off wild animals. It should be fine to use on the dove.

Being okay to use didn’t necessarily mean it worked though.

The dove didn’t seem to want to sit still and the water didn’t want to wet the feathers. Between those two facts, his shorts ended up more soaked than the bird, much to his chagrin. Abandoning the sponge, he instead took to picking the dirt out by hand. His water-wrinkled fingers became increasingly dirty as he worked.

The wings had been pretty clean when he started, so he focused on the dove’s face, torso and tail. It was slow going. The mud didn’t want to come off, but with enough coaxing, the dried clumps started to crumble under his nails. He didn’t know how long it had been before Agasa called for him.

“Shinichi! Are you finished with the dishes?”

Conan blinked and shook himself. His head felt foggy, as if breaking out of a trance. He leaned back on his hands so he could twist to see Agasa without disturbing the dove. “Yeah! I finished up a while ago! They just need to finish sanitizing!”

Agasa gave him a funny look. “Then why are you just sitting there?”

“I’m cleaning up a…” Conan looked down, but found his lap empty. The dove was gone. “… Bird?”

“Bird?” Agasa walked closer, brow furrowed and frown tugging on his mustache. “I didn’t see any bird. Did I scare it off?”

“Maybe…” Conan decided the sudden shout had probably scared the dove off. It was unfortunate as he hadn’t been able to get all the mud off, but the dove had been 80% clean. It could handle the rest.

“Anyway,” Agasa said, turning a concerned look to the forest. “The kids haven’t come back yet. Could you go get them?”

“Yeah, I’ll go look for them,” Conan said as he stood and dusted himself off. For how much trouble the bird had been, it didn’t actually leave any evidence on his clothes. The thought made him pause, but Conan brushed it off.

“I think they were headed East earlier,” Agasa said, looking in the direction the kids had left in. “They might be in range of your glasses if they haven’t wandered too far.”

“I’ll find them,” Conan promised and started off into the woods.

It was about ten in the morning, meaning the kids would have been romping around for two hours or so. Normally, Haibara would have started to steer them back to camp, but Conan wasn’t there to help lead. Three kids on one quasi-adult wasn’t good odds.

Absently, he scratched at his neck where his collar rubbed annoyingly. He pressed a button on his glasses to bring up the map feature, wincing a little at the glare. Luckily, the kids were still in range, though just barely.

“Where do they think they’re going?” Conan groused as he corrected his course to track them. “There weren’t any attractions over there, right? I don’t remember seeing anything on the map.”

A rustle in the trees made Conan look up.

It was the dove again.

It cocked its head at him. Conan did the same.

With a burst of motion, it fluttered to another tree and disappeared.

Conan frowned at where the dove had been. There was no sound of movement.

Curious, Conan started to get closer, wholly focused on the bird, until a scream echoed through the forest. It was far away, too far to tell direction, but he recognized it. Ice shot through his gut.

“Ayumi!” Conan called, darting off in the direction of where the lights blinked on his glasses.

He heard the leaves rustle as the dove followed. His feet pounded across roots and hard earth like a stampede of wild animals. His heart beat like war drums in his ears. His breath hissed into his lungs, bringing so many other scents with it.

He didn’t notice any of this, too focused on getting to the source of the scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we see the classic situation escalation from 0 to 60 in 3.5. :) Don't you just love Detective Conan?
> 
> Anyway, if you have not yet [voted in the poll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17474012/chapters/41151446), please head over and leave a comment as your vote. All votes must be in before Feb. 29.
> 
> See you next week! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaitou, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS - I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. It covered all the points I wanted to, but I'm not sure I managed to explore Conan's mindset as much as I wanted. I might end up going back and re-writing this or writing a new chapter for later in this series.
> 
> For now, please enjoy!

Haibara held Ayumi close as the group crouched down behind a thicket of bushes. She mentally urged the others to be silent as she strained to listen for their pursuer.

What she wouldn’t give to have Conan with them right then.

Everything had been going fine. Genta and Mitsuhiko had started a competition to find the best beetle while Haibara and Ayumi observed the insects closer to the ground. Ayumi would catch one and bring it to Haibara. The older girl would explain the species name and genus if she knew it, along with other trivial facts she remembered, then Ayumi would release it.

It kept the kids happy and kept Haibara’s hands free of bugs.

Haibara would have been fine to continue in this vein for the two hours it would keep the kids occupied. She would have been fine, if Genta and Mitsuhiko hadn’t wandered too far off, prompting her and Ayumi to track them down. In the middle of their hunt, they had stumbled across the one thing Haibara had been dreading.

A dead body.

Ayumi had gasped, but managed not to scream, having seen far worse scenes before.

The man had been laid in a shallow grave, dead eyes staring upwards blankly. It looked like the blow had come from a blunt object to the back of the head, but Haibara couldn’t know for sure unless she got closer.

She _really_ didn’t want to do that.

She had been about to suggest finding Genta and Mitsuhiko and heading back for Conan when the two boys burst out of the foliage with panicked yelps. Not far behind them was a dark shadow with a glint of steel in their hand.

Ayumi screamed and the chase began.

Now, the group was hiding in the brush, trying to keep silent from their persistent pursuer. Their chaser had yet to lose their trail, despite the various turn-arounds Haibara had dragged them through. She was _sure_ the pursuer had lost sight of them, yet she couldn’t help but feel that they were being _watched_. Haibara didn’t know how they were keeping track in such a thick forest. It had to be magic.

Ayumi whimpered in her arms. Genta and Mitsuhiko looked to her, eyes filled with fear. Haibara clenched her teeth.

Where was Conan when they _needed_ him?

(Why had she insisted he stay at camp? When things like _this_ were bound to happen?)

“We need to get back to camp,” she said lowly. “Get to Agasa and get in the car. We can head down the mountain and call the rangers while we’re at it. If we can get some police up here…”

“Call… that’s it!” Mitsuhiko snapped his fingers and dug out his badge. “We can call them from here!”

“What are you doing?” Haibara hissed. “Don’t talk unnecessarily! They might hear-!”

“Conan!” Ayumi called into her badge, heedless of Haibara’s warning. “Conan! We need you! There’s a body and a scary person following us and they _won’t leave us alone!_ ”

“Conan-kun!” Mitsuhiko added. “Conan-kun, can you hear us?”

“Coooooonaaaaan!” Genta called, loudly. “Come get us!”

Haibara’s heart beat frantically in her ears as she tried to shush them in vain. She heard the sound of footsteps in grass, twigs snapping under force, bushes being shoved to the side. It was close, _too_ close, no doubt they could hear the kids by now. If only she hadn’t taken them into the woods! None of this would have-!

A hand shoved the branches apart, exposing their hiding place.

* * * * *

Despite being a young girl, Ayumi didn’t scream at much.

All the dead bodies they had wandered across had made her and the other Shounen Tantei-dan numb to every day horrors like bugs or roadkill, even some of the less gory murders.

So if Ayumi had screamed, it meant that his friends, **_his tribe_** , was in danger. He had to **_protect_** them. **_Have to protect the tribe._**

His badge whispered frantically to him. One of the kids had remembered that they had it and were hoping against everything that he was close enough to hear them.

Luckily, he was and he was only getting closer.

Soon, he heard the actual words and voices as Mitsuhiko and Ayumi tried to hail him. He also heard footsteps that were _not_ part of his tribe. Instead of answering, he slipped into their hiding place to silence them.

The three kids screamed at his sudden appearance, hurting his ears as he strained to keep track of the foreign footsteps.

“Conan!” Ayumi cheered and once she realized who he was. “You found-!”

Conan pressed a hand over her mouth, needing quiet.

Her face reddened at the contact. Mitsuhiko and Genta looked like they were about to protest, but Conan pressed a finger to his lips. He needed quiet. Their breathing and heartbeats were already too loud. He knew the foreign entity was close though, too close.

He needed to get his tribe out of danger. They were relying on him.

A map unfolded in his mind as he threw his glasses to the side. The fake glass was blurring his vision, full of warps and pockmarks and tiny circuits. He needed to see in order to move.

“Edogawa-kun…” the strawberry blonde girl called, her hands twisting around his glasses. His eyes flicked to her, but she fell silent.

Good. He needed the quiet.

He signaled the children to follow him, motioning for the two boys to bring up the rear. They weren’t the strongest, wouldn’t put up much of a fight, but no one else in the group had any idea where they were going. He had to lead.

His ears strained against the various different sounds of the forest, trying to block out the ones he didn’t need. He kept track of his tribe’s heartbeats, a vital sign that they were alive, but blocked out their breathing or the various noises they made.

He ducked them all behind a small drop-off and looked back the way they had come.

He wasn’t familiar with the territory, could only follow his trail back to camp. He hoped it would be the same for the Attacker.

The footsteps paused at their last hiding spot. One beat passed, then two, before those foreign steps continued in their direction. It appeared he was out of luck.

He gritted his teeth and moved again. His tribe followed. The one girl was close to tears, he could smell it in the air. The two boys weren’t doing much better. The only one who seemed useful was the older-than-she-seemed girl, who stayed silent and watched him with eyes-that-saw-too-much.

He didn’t like those eyes on him, but he couldn’t leave her behind. She was a part of the tribe. She needed his protection.

He took several twists and turns before finding a new hiding spot to take cover in. He hoped to throw off the Attacker, but it didn’t seem to work. By the sound of footsteps, they were tracking his tribe well, _too_ well.

Were they leaving a trail behind? Footprints? The air smelled more dusty than muddy. There hadn’t been rain for days. Was it something else? Food crumbs? Broken leaves?

“Conan-kun-?” the young girl whimpered, but she was silenced by the older-than-she-seemed girl. The boys crowded her, seeming to sense something was off.

The nearing footsteps were closing in. They had to move.

The next hiding spot wasn’t the best, but it didn’t have to last long. His mind traced over the terrain they had crossed as he drew out his plans in the dirt. He knew the older-than-she-seemed girl would understand even if the kids didn’t, so he let her study it as he turned to the kids.

He took the girl’s hat and tugged it over his hair, then grabbed the thin boy’s jacket. They both protested the move, but were silenced by the older-than-she-seemed girl. The largest boy was more difficult, his backpack had snacks in it, but Conan didn’t care. He dumped the snacks out and slipped the backpack onto his shoulders.

He gave himself a sniff, fingers itching at where the jacket sleeves fell. It was long on him, but it would work. The kids smelled unhappy. He would rather them be unhappy than dead.

The footsteps grew near again. He scuffed out his plan and prodded them on to the next stopping area, this time out by a river that wound around camp. They were heading away from their destination, but it was necessary. They couldn’t lead the Attacker straight to camp. That would be the end of the tribe.

Path decided, he pushed the girl down into the muddy bank.

“Ah-! Conan-kun! Why-?”

“He’s hiding your scent.” The older-than-she-seemed girl had caught on. He expected as much.

She was knelt in the mud, disregarding her clothes and rolling in it. She sat up and started putting mud on her face and hair as he did the same for the other girl. “Whoever is following us, they have some kind of advanced tracking technique.

“Tracking technique…? Like sniffer dogs?” the thin boy asked. He lowered himself to the ground with more caution, but he was slowly understanding. He was always the kid to pick up plans the quickest.

“Or something similar,” the girl replied. “His plan is to hide our scent and cross the river before winding back and crossing again. Then we’ll head to camp. Right Conan?”

Conan stood from where he had knelt and went to her side. He lifted her hand that held the glasses he’d discarded and gave her a meaningful look before going to search the river for the safest area to cross. The river flowed fast and dangerous. It would be a feat for them to cross, without the Attacker on their heels.

He found a path just as the kids had finished covering their scent. He gave each of them a subtle sniff before gesturing across the river. The smallest girl started to cross, but he put out a hand. He pointed to the largest boy.

“Huh? Me?” The boy pointed at himself, as if he didn’t understand was Conan wanted.

He grabbed the boy’s shirt and dragged him over. He put the smallest girl behind him and pressed her hands into the largest boy’s shirt. Then he pushed the older-than-she-seemed girl behind the other and the tall thin boy behind her. The girl grabbed onto the other girl’s shirt, but Conan pressed the boy’s hands onto the other boy’s shirt, making a barrier for the girls.

“Genta-kun,” the older-than-she-seemed girl said lowly. “You’re going to break the flow for us. Mitsuhiko-kun, you hold on tight so Ayumi and I don’t wash away. Got it?”

“Y-Yes!” both boys said, far more nervous than they had been before.

“Ayumi-chan,” the girl said. “When we go in, the water will be up to your chest. Make sure to keep your head up and your grip tight on Genta-kun’s shirt, okay?”

“O-okay!” the other girl nodded. Her scent was scared, but she was trying to put on a brave face. “What about Conan-kun?”

The footsteps were drawing near again. They had to cross before the Attacker found them. Conan put his hands on the thin boy’s back, urging them forward.

“He’s going to hold onto me,” the boy said, looking back.

“But he’s the same height as me and Ai-chan!” the girl protested. “Shouldn’t he be behind her? Or in front of me?”

“Conan-kun is a boy,” the largest boy said in surly fashion. “He’ll be fine.”

Conan urged them forward again. They were running out of time.

Finally, they started to cross, the largest acting as the anchor the others needed to keep from being swept away. At the water’s edge, Conan let go and stepped back. It took several steps before the thin boy noticed and turned back. “Conan?”

“Don’t let go!” the strawberry blonde girl ordered.

“Mitsuhiko-kun!” the other called fearfully.

“I’m not! I’m not! But Conan-kun!”

“Did he get swept away?” the older-than-she-seemed girl’s voice went fearful as well. She leaned against the other’s arms to try and see around him.

“No! He let go! He’s still on the bank!”

They were half-way across. They would be fine.

Conan locked eyes with the girl frantically searching the shore, then turned and left.

“Conan!” she called after him, but he didn’t care. He needed to retrace their steps a bit before cutting a new path.

The fork in the trail should give the Attacker pause enough to get the others across. Even if the Attacker chose to go to the river, the dead end and double back would be all the hint they needed to turn around and follow him.

With all of their scents on him, he would be a diversion for the children to get to the rest of the tribe and call for help.

All he had to do, was keep ahead of the Attacker. It might take hours before help arrived, but it didn’t matter.

It was a Sentinel’s job to protect the tribe –and protect it, he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, this week's update is finished! :) 
> 
> I also posted a BNHA fic if you were wondering which other fandom oneshot I had published this week.
> 
> Last but not least! For those of you who haven't voted yet, please check out the [poll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17474012/chapters/41151446)!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS - Who's ready for some HakuHei fluff?! :D We've got some more of our second favorite SG pair! First being Shinichi and Kaito, obviously. ;)
> 
> By the way, you can thank [Kitsune_Lokiversali](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Lokiversali/pseuds/Kitsune_Lokiversali) for the early update. I was catching up on my comments and saw them raving about SGN KaiShin. This chapter isn't quite KaiShin, but it is SGN, so I figured they wouldn't mind. :)
> 
> Also, this week's other fandom oneshot belongs to the Xiaolin Showdown fandom! Check it out if you're interested!

A low buzzing disturbed Saguru from his sleep. His head was foggy and body heavy. The buzzing stopped and transformed into low whispers instead, but that was okay. It meant someone else was dealing with it. He could go back to sleep…

A rough hand jostled him.

“Get up.” Came the harried command.

The fog pulled at him even as Saguru pushed himself up. A quick scan presented only one other person in the room. The buzzing mind was scurrying about, dressing in a hurry.

“Oi. Hakuba!” The harsh voice came again as the mind buzzed closer. “I know you’re shit without coffee, but you need to get dressed.”

A bundle of fabric hit him in the face and pushed him back into his bed. This was fine. He was horizontal, still warm. He could just…

“No, no, no! Don’t go back to sleep!” The voice and mind descended on him, rough hands pulling at him. “Come on, Hakuba, I _need_ you!”

The utter desperation in his voice sparked something in Saguru. His mind finally figured out he wasn’t getting back to sleep. So with a groan, he sat up and scrubbed a hand down his face. He blinked open bleary eyes, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

Hattori was pulling on a t-shirt, already clad in jeans and socks.

There was a low buzz that filled the room, emanating from Hattori. It prickled at Saguru’s skin, like insects creeping along.

It was unpleasant.

The clock showed a quarter to three. Why was Hattori getting dressed now?

Saguru stood, wobbled, and regained his balance. Then he headed for the door. He needed caffeine. Everything would make more sense after that.

“Whoa! Hey! No!” Hands stopped him in his tracks. He glared at them. “You can’t go out like that! You need to get dressed!”

Saguru huffed and headed towards the door again.

“Sheesh! You’re worse than Kudou!” The hands turned him around and pushed him back towards the bed. “Get dressed. I’ll go grab you something.”

He would? That was nice. In the meantime, Saguru would just…

“Do you have low blood pressure or something?” Hands pulled Saguru up from where he had been getting cozy on his bed again. Saguru let out a low groan that was part whine. “Dress.”

Fabric in his hands. It was a shirt and a pair of pants.

Did he have to?

Sharp green eyes glared down at him, answering that question.

Stripping off his night shirt, Saguru didn’t even register that Hattori had left until he’s pulling up his pants and there’s a cup of coffee held in front of his nose. He fell upon it ravenously, _needing_ the fuel it gave him.

“Okay, you get caffeinated. I’ll get your socks on.” A hand pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him to sit. Saguru went gracefully, still chugging a mug of sweet, sweet, liquid sleep.

Socks were wrangled on his feet and when he sat his empty mug down, a shirt over his head. He struggled briefly to right himself. When he managed to get his limbs in the right holes, he found a thick coat waiting for him along with another mug of coffee.

“Baya is waiting in the car. Coat on.” He was helped into his coat and handed a second mug. As he drank, slower this time, hands pushed and prodded him through the house, before finally just settling at his lower back to guide him. He somehow got shoes on and got into a car, mug still in hand.

He only came back to himself after they’d been driving for an hour. Looking around in confusing, he asked. “Where are we going?”

“You actually awake now?” Hattori asked, looking over from the other seat. “I swear, being a zombie so early in the morning isn’t normal.”

“Being up so early in the morning isn’t normal,” Saguru argued groggily. He rubbed a hand over his face, as if it could rub away the cobwebs in his head. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

“Mt. Oyama,” Hattori said. His green eyes were hard when Saguru looked up in surprise. “Got a call from the Shounen Tantei-dan. There’s a murderer running loose up there.”

“Murderer?” Saguru’s eyes widened in shock. “Why didn’t they call the police? They would be a far faster response than us?”

“They did.” Hattori’s expression darkened. “The police got there at five and began their search. They’ve found all the campers and evacuated the area –all except two.”

“Two?” Saguru asked, mind finally shifting from first gear.

“Conan is still somewhere on that mountain… and so is the murderer.” Hattori’s teeth clenched audibly. “Haibara called me when she noticed the police were growing desperate. With the sun down and animals out, they are searching the best they can, but they’re getting frustrated.”

“But what can you do?” Saguru frowned.

“ _We_ can track him down,” Hattori said, turning stern. “I can get his scent and you can use the wildlife to look for people that are where they shouldn’t be. Between the two of us, we can find them both.”

“Wouldn’t they have thought of that already?” Saguru pointed out. “They must have a Sentinel-Guide pair there already.”

“Yeah, but not a 5S and AG,” Hattori replied. “Even as far as Guides and Sentinels go, we’re a step above the rest. Together, we can do anything.”

Hattori’s words stirred something in Saguru, something that fluttered in his chest, but he brushed it away. He understood what Hattori was getting at. “If I need to use my Guide Skill, you’ll need to stay close by.”

“I’ll need to anyway to keep from Zoning in my senses,” Hattori said. “My Senes-2 will wear off on the drive, so I can smell better.”

Saguru wanted to question if Hattori really still used those drugs, but he knew he did. Saguru helped with Zoning, but he wouldn’t be absolutely effective until they Bonded. Neither of them were quite ready for that step, not yet.

The rest of the drive was spent in alternating silence and speculative planning. The full story came out the more Hattori spoke. Conan and his friends –collectively known as the Shounen Tantei-dan –had gone on the camping trip Conan had spoken of the earlier in the week.

They had gone off bug-hunting and ended up seeing things they shouldn’t have seen. A man had been burying a body out in the woods. When he’d noticed them, he’d given chase.

The group managed to evade him for a while before they got separated and Conan lured the man away. The kids had gone back to call the police who had, in turn, evacuated the whole campsite. But after hours of searching, Conan and the killer on the loose had yet to be found.

The thought of tiny Edogawa-kun wandering the mountains alone with a murderer at his heels made Saguru swallow thickly.

When they arrived, there was a crowd at the foot of the mountain where the national park gate was. Campers of all ages were milling about, some with concern on their faces, others with annoyance. As soon as they step out of the car, Hattori was accosted by three of them.

“Hattori-nii-kun!” Three children, the Shounen Tantei-dan Saguru suspected, cheered in unison as they rushed over to him. A fourth followed more slowly with their guardian. The teen knelt next to them quickly, putting himself at their level.

Not for the first time, Saguru was struck with the realization that Hattori was pretty good with kids. Though he seemed to treat these ones a little differently than Conan…

“Are you here to catch him, Hattori-nii?” the largest child asked gruffly. “The man who was burying the other one?”

“The police can’t find him,” the other boy said, looking worried. “They’re worried he might be a Sentinel. They’re having trouble tracking him down.”

“Please, Hattori-nii!” one of the young girls pleaded, tears in her eyes. “You have to find Conan! Before the bad man does!”

“Oi, oi! Calm down,” Hattori ordered soothingly. He motioned with his hands for them to lower their volume. “I’m here to do both. I promise I’ll track down the murderer _and_ find Ku-onan-kun. No need to worry when Hakuba and I are on the case.”

Saguru flinched when the children’s attention turned to him. He really didn’t do kids, not in a group as large as this. Edogawa, he could handle, but the boy felt different from other kids. He didn’t know how to handle these ones.

Luckily, he was saved from figuring it out by the second girl stepping forward. She had a bundle of clothes in her hand. Saguru realized in an instant that they were some of Conan’s, likely so Hattori could get his scent. He was proven right only seconds later.

“These are some of Edogawa’s clothes. He’s worn them recently, so his scent should still be strong,” the girl said quietly. She seemed to be handling the situation a lot better than the other kids. Saguru imagined her to be a lot like Conan. “I have his glasses here too. If he still has his badge on him, they should be able to track him within five kilometers. Also…”

“Hakuba-kun?” the greeting pulled Hakuba’s attention away from the exchange and onto a lanky man that held a badge in hand. “I am Inspector Yokomizo Jugo. I heard about you from Nakamori and Megure. I’m sorry for the drive, but you and Hattori-kun are the strongest pair we could find on such short notice. And that was only because of those kids there.”

Saguru glanced back at the group to see Hattori giving the bundle of clothes a cautious sniff. He turned his attention back to the officer. “No need for apologies. I know how delicate the situation is. How can we be of help?”

“We’re planning to take you two up to the campsite where the boy was staying. We have articles with his scent, so it should be easier to find him.” The man looked stern. “If your Sentinel can pick out the scent of the murderer on the way, we can begin tracking him immediately. If not, we have the site of the body roped off with guards set up around it. We can probably pick up a scent there too.”

“So is the priority on the boy or the criminal?” Saguru asked, indifferent.

The inspector looked back at his men before flashing a guilty face Saguru’s way. “With all honesty… the criminal is our priority. While he’s on the loose, anyone of us could be in danger. Right now, my men have to move in large groups, to protect themselves from an ambush. If we find the criminal, we can break up into smaller search groups for the boy.”

Saguru nodded, seeing the sense in the plan.

“Unfortunately,” the inspector’s eyes trailed behind Saguru with a wince. “It doesn’t look like your Sentinel will agree with that order of priority.”

Saguru followed his gaze back.

Hattori was pinky promising the more emotional girl, reassuring her and wiping away her tears. The two boys looked determined, but were led away easily by the older man that must have been watching them that weekend. Hattori spoke quietly with the last girl before she joined the others.

Saguru had only really known the other detective for a week at this point, but he recognized that look in the other’s eyes.

Hattori was a man on a mission. Saguru wasn’t sure he wanted to get in his way.

“We good to go?” Hattori asked as he stood and walked over.

Saguru nodded and gestured to the inspector. “Inspector Yokomizo has offered to drive us up to the campsite wherever you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now. Let’s do this.” Hattori headed past them, only slowing to let the inspector lead them to the car.

* * * * *

Haibara watched in worry as the Sentinel and Guide climbed into the car. It was long past midnight and almost twenty hours since Conan’s last dosage of Senes. There was no doubt in her mind that he was in a Rage –he had been since he had led them through the forest. He would likely stay in it as long as he perceived a threat in the woods –as long as the criminal pursued him.

If the criminal was a Sentinel like she feared, it would be a long chase for sure.

(Or perhaps all too short –no. She refused to think on that.)

For once, she was grateful for the other Sentinel Kudou had befriended. She had always thought it was a mistake on his part to reveal his identity to one who couldn’t even get his name right, but here? In this situation?

Hattori Heiji was a godsend.

Hakuba Saguru was less so. If the Guide realized that the child they were chasing was a Sentinel and a high-level on at that, _questions_ would be asked, ones Haibara didn’t want answered.

_“Don’t worry, ‘Nee-chan,”_ Hattori had said as he pocketed Kudou’s medication. _“I’ll definitely get to him first. I’ve just got to get Kudou his meds and then he’ll be right as rain. No sweat!”_

She could only hope it was that simple.

“Ai-chan!” Ayumi called. “Agasa wants us all in the car.”

“The police said they will call if they find Conan-kun,” Mitsuhiko added, though he looked like he wanted to do anything, but leave.

“There’s nothing else we can do,” she said, hating that she had to be the reasonable one of the group. She would like nothing more than to stay until Kudou was found, dead or alive. She couldn’t handle any more loose ends.

But the kids were tired and standing around would get them nowhere.

“Let’s go into town,” she suggested. “Maybe we can find a hotel room for the night. Then we can come back in the morning for our camp.”

“That’s a great idea, Ai-kun!” Agasa’s smile was forced, but at least he tried. The kids gave half-hearted protests, but climbed into the back of his Beetle.

Haibara turned back to look at the forest and where the police car had long driven off with the Sentinel Guide pair.

“Please find him,” she whispered, as if the Sentinel could hear her. Then she climbed in and closed the car door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, things are getting tense! And it looks like Hattori isn't being completely honest with Saguru here. What could this spell for them in the future?
> 
> And Conan has been running and hiding from that Sentinel for over six hours now! Surely a kid can't outrun an adult for so long! Just what has happened to our little Raging Sentinel? 
> 
> Tune in next time to find out! :D
> 
> Also, for those who haven't voted yet, please check out the [poll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17474012/chapters/49493087)!
> 
> (Someone told me the link had somehow gotten switched to Chapter 1. I think I've got it fixed to chapter 5, but please let me know!)
> 
> See you all again next week! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea for this fic!
> 
> PS - More HakuHei interaction! :) Yay!
> 
> Also, Hattori has a bit of a potty mouth here. Sorry about that.
> 
> And this week's other fandom is HunterXHunter. :) A continuation of a series I've got. If you're interested, go take a look!
> 
> To those who stuck around, happy reading! :)

Inside and buckled up, Saguru leaned into Hattori’s side so he could quietly explain. “Inspector Yokomizo’s priority is the criminal first, then Edogawa-kun.”

Immediately, Hattori’s face screwed up in anger. “ _What_?! He’s placing a _criminal_ above an innocent life?!”

“He’s placing his men’s safety about the life of one boy,” Saguru corrected. “Right now, his men move in groups so that, if they are attacked, they can defend themselves.”

Hattori’s expression didn’t change. Saguru held his hands up in defense. “Don’t get mad at me. I’m just letting you know where his worries lie.”

“Well, _my_ worries lie in the _six-year-old child_ that’s been wandering the forest since noon _yesterday_ with no food or water.” Hattori hissed. “And who has already missed two doses of his medication.”

“Medication?” Saguru frowned. “I hadn’t realized Edogawa-kun had any physical problems that necessitated medication.”

“Yeah, something with his heart.” Hattori’s anger gave way to concern. “It won’t kill him, but it will slow him down. According to the Little Miss, he led the killer away from the others. If the man is still on his tail, he can’t afford to slow down.”

“I can see your concern.” Saguru nodded and righted himself in his seat. “I will follow your lead.”

Hattori flashed him a relieved look before turning his attention out the window. They made it to the campsite in short order.

Hattori had kept a shirt with him in order to re-scent when they headed to the campsite. It took a few minutes of alternating between the cloth and walking the site before he paused at the edge of the clearing.

“I’ve got a trail,” Hattori said, eyes a little glazed. “How do we want to track?”

“We’ll follow your lead,” Inspector Yokomizo said as his men grouped up behind them.

“Hakuba, think you can set up a perimeter?” Hattori asked.

Saguru frowned, understanding what he was asking. “I’ve never done more than one animal before. I’m not sure…”

Hattori stepped back to him and grasped his hand, surprising Saguru. The Sentinel’s smile was a challenge. “I’m sure you’ll surprised yourself.”

And, well, Saguru couldn’t _not_ try after that.

So he took a breath, closed his eyes, and let his mind expand. Past the bright lights of the men around him. Past the dim lights of insects and dimmer ones of leaves and trees. Past the clearing and into the forest where more lights started to flicker into his awareness.

Somewhere still and lazy in sleep. Those he left alone, but the others vibrant and moving in nocturnal cycle, those he very carefully tapped into.

All through this, Hattori’s hand never left his own.

At some point, he had to stop, bounded by his own limitations, but Hattori was right. Saguru was surprised by just how far his Field of Influence could stretch. He wondered if it wasn’t, in part, due to the Sentinel himself.

Something just outside his awareness shifted, called to him, _invited_ him in…

“There’s a Sentinel out there,” Saguru said, suddenly pulling himself back. He felt Hattori stiffen beside him. “It feels like they’re either in a Zone or close to it. You said the mountain was evacuated?”

“As far as we know,” Inspector Yokomizo confirmed.

“Then either someone slipped back in to ransack empty campsites…” Saguru looked out to the forest. “Or our killer is also a Sentinel.”

At the determination, Hattori relaxed slightly.

Saguru sent him a funny look, but Inspector Yokomizo was already turning to bark orders at his men. The new development changed how they could legally handle the killer, though not by much. If they knew the Sentinel’s active sense, they could take more adequate defense against him. Unfortunately, Saguru hadn’t gotten close enough to the other’s mind to pick up that kind of information.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to either.

“Hey, don’t go looking into that Sentinel’s mind and accidentally get Bonded, got it?” Hattori scowled at him.

Saguru flushed in indignation. “I _know_ that. I’m not new to this.”

“Not saying you are,” Hattori said, eyes hard on him. “Just saying that Instincts can be a powerful thing.”

Saguru knew that. He knew Guides instinctively reached out to help any Sentinel in need, just as Sentinels defended any Guide in trouble. It was a part of what made them Guides and Sentinels. Neutrals didn’t experience the same pervasive need to help, just them.

Saguru was a little nervous that his Instincts would catch him off guard, but he was sure Hattori would stop him before things got that far. He wasn’t sure _how_ , but Hattori would think of something. After all, _he_ was the one Saguru was Matching with, not this random Sentinel.

Still, the bundle of nerves didn’t quite leave his stomach, even as the Inspector gave his permission to move out.

Hattori led the group with Saguru close behind.

The Osakan crouched as he walked, in order to track the smaller body that had wandered through there hours earlier. Saguru kept a small perimeter around the group and took to tapping into the minds of the animals around them when Hattori had to stop and re-find the trail. Saguru couldn’t stay connected to the minds of the animals too long without losing himself entirely, but it was enough to get a feel of the area.

There had been noises earlier, while the nocturnal animals slept, but it had been quiet ever since. Saguru wasn’t sure if that was good news or not.

In this fashion, they continued on the trail, with Saguru occasionally brushing against Hattori’s mind to make sure he wasn’t in danger of a Zone. The Sentinel seemed both annoyed and grateful at the gesture, even if he didn’t voice either emotion. Saguru decided not to say anything.

Suddenly, there was a change in Hattori’s demeanor. He didn’t turn back to the rest of the group, but he did pause long enough to whisper three chilling words. “I smell blood.”

Then he was off and dashing through the woods faster than Saguru could react. “Hattori!”

“Wait!” the Inspector called after him, but Saguru was already crashing through the woods after his errant Sentinel.

He wondered at the sudden rush. Had the scent of blood caused a Zone in Hattori? A _Rage?_

Saguru had thought he had been keeping a good eye on Hattori, had thought the other was still lucid. Had he been wrong? Was Saguru not… not good enough?

His stomach clenched the thought.

“Hattori!” Saguru called out. He had long since lost both his Sentinel and the Inspector and his men. “Hattori!”

He was alone in the woods with a murderer. Most likely, a dangerous Sentinel.

He shook his head.

No, it was fine. He had been in worse scrapes.

The Sentinel had been on the edge of –if not _in_ –a Zone. He would be harmless. Even if they ran into each other, Saguru could get way easily. The thought of leaving a Zoning Sentinel alone in the woods where he could trip and fall, drown in a stream, walk off a cliff…

Saguru shuddered.

His mind conjured an image of Hattori in any one of those situations. The picture turned his stomach.

“Hattori!” he called again the echo of his voice was the only response he got. There was no other way then.

He took a steadying breath and closed his eyes.

It was harder to press out a perimeter than before. Whether that was because of Hattori’s lack of proximity or Saguru’s own state of mind, he didn’t know. What he _did_ know was that it took longer and didn’t quite go as far as his limit before. And then, once he found the bright spark of a human mind… he shied away.

It was a Sentinel. He knew that much, but he wasn’t familiar enough with Hattori to pick him out of a crowd of bright lights. It could be him… or it could be the murderous Sentinel, searching for another to kill.

Did he really have another way to find out?

Just as Saguru was about to press out and touch the mind he could see, a rumble startled him out of his mental state. It was guttural, animalistic, foreign and yet _not_. It had him opening his eyes, then taking two quick steps aback.

There, in the dark, two shining eyes watched him.

Low to the ground, light reflected in amber and green, there was no doubt that it was an animal staring him down, but…

Saguru hadn’t sensed anything from it.

_Still_ didn’t sense anything from it.

The eyes blinked at him, once, twice, then the animal turned away. It took four steps away, then paused and looked back.

Did… did it want him to follow?

Cautiously, Saguru took two steps forward, careful to keep distance between them. The animal turned back and continued, ears cocked his ways.

This wasn’t ordinary animal behavior, not for something that lived in the forest.

Just what was going on?

Saguru kept following the animal, having no other choice. If he got too far behind, the animal would stop and wait for him to close the gap before leading on. It also seemed to take the paths that held less tree branches that could hit Saguru’s face, even though the animal was far shorter.

And that wasn’t the strangest thing either.

In the dapple of the leaves and brief appearances of moonlight, Saguru caught glimpses of his mysterious guide. The picture they added up to was an impossibility.

Because what was leading Saguru through the forest was none other than a wolf.

A wolf… in a country where wolves had been hunted to extinction hundreds of years ago.

England didn’t have any native wolves left, this Saguru knew. Most island nations had hunted them to extinction since they were the greatest threat to domesticated animals. There shouldn’t have been any wolves on Japan at all, let alone a camping park like this. The heavy human foot traffic should have scared any away.

And yet, Saguru found himself following this impossible wolf further into the silver-dappled forest.

Perhaps it wasn’t a wild one? Maybe it was domesticated at some point and released to help with the local population control? It certainly didn’t _act_ like any wild animal Saguru had encountered. He would almost put the mystery to rest there, except…

He couldn’t feel the wolf’s mind.

Saguru’s Gift was the ability to tap into and see through the minds of animals. The fact that the wolf was only three meters away from him and he couldn’t feel the slightest warmth? It was worrisome to say the least.

It was almost like the wolf wasn’t really there…

And then it _wasn’t_.

Between one breath and the next, the wolf melted into the shadows and vanished from sight. At first, Saguru didn’t worry. The wolf would wait on him to catch up if he got too far behind.

But when he followed where the wolf had been leading, Saguru still couldn’t spot the wolf anywhere, not the slightest glimpse of moon dappled fir. Saguru found himself startlingly alone, even more lost than when he’d started and completely isolated from anyone else.

“-at’s it. Drink slowly.”

Or, perhaps not.

The source of the quiet whisper was just ahead of Saguru, just past some trees. Even with the familiar voice, he was cautious as he stepped through the trunks, right up until he recognized Hattori’s form crouched in front of a stump. “Hattori?”

“Gyaaah!” Hattori startled violently, as if he hadn’t heard Saguru approach. Perhaps he hadn’t, now that Saguru noticed. The smaller figure in front of him had probably distracted the Sentinel. “Don’t _do_ that! You’ll give me a heart attack!”

“At 16? Highly unlikely.” Saguru stepped up to stand next to where Hattori was crouched. Conan lay in front of Hattori, leaning against the tree stump and dozing now that he was safe. It probably went without saying, but… “You found him?”

“Yeah, wasn’t easy. He certainly let me on a round-about.” Hattori looked more impressed than frustrated. “But I managed to track him down.”

“Good,” Saguru said. Then he cuffed Hattori on the back of the head.

“Ow! Hey!” Hattori cowered, hand covering his head. “What was that for!?”

“You ran off and left me alone in the forest!” Saguru said, his voice rising of its own accord. “Do you know how disconcerting it was to hear you say ‘I smell blood’ and then just _take off_?!”

“You act like I left you alone out there.” Hattori scowled. “You were fine with Inspector Yokomizo and his men! No one was gonna hurt you!”

“Except I separated from them immediately after you left.” Saguru crossed his arms.

Hattori’s eyes went wide. “Why the _hell_ would you do that?!”

“What part of ‘you smelled blood’ did you _not_ understand?”

“That didn’t mean to run after me!” Hattori threw his hands up in agitation. “Do you have a death wish!?”

The two glared at each other for several minutes before Saguru looked away. His fingers curled into the crook of his elbow. “You said, together, we could do anything.”

Hattori shifted, obviously wanting to say something, but nothing followed. Instead, he sighed and patted Saguru’s calf. “We’ll talk about this later. Let’s just find the inspector and his men.”

Saguru nodded and turned away towards where he had stumbled across them. “I’ll see if I can’t get a read on where they are.”

“Would be so much easier if they had given us a walky-talky,” Hattori grumbled as he reached over to wake Conan up.

Saguru ignored him and instead closed his eyes. He took a breath and reached out with his mind…

Only to feel the blazing mind of a Sentinel right in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that wraps up this week's update! :) Don't you just love cliffhangers? I do!
> 
> Also, don't forget to vote in the [poll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17474012/chapters/49493087) I have going on. Only three weeks left to vote! We've got a tie going on right now, so I need some more votes. :/ Otherwise, I'll have to get creative with a tie breaker...
> 
> Anyway, see you next week! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS - Hi everyone! Got a lot of comments on the last chapter, but I didn't want to spoil the cliffhanger with any responses, so here you go instead! :D
> 
> Also, this week's other fandom was *supposed* to be Kingdom Hearts, but my brain got waaaay side-tracked and somehow thought it was supposed to be Avatar: the Last Airbender? So get some Fake-Date Zuko action instead! The poll will still have Kingdom hearts, but I will add votes for Avatar if someone drops one in.
> 
> Enough about my mental blunder. On with the show!

“So you’re a Guide?”

Eyes flying open, Saguru took several startled steps back, but it was too late. A hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him against a hard chest.

He struggled valiantly against the hold, yelling, “Hattori!”

“Sh! None of that.” A twirl of his arm had his back against his attacker. A cold line of steel pressed against his neck forced Saguru still. “No need to get all flustered. I can smell your fear you know.”

“Let him go, creep!” Hattori shouted, but his actions were just as useless. With a knife pressed to Saguru’s neck, there was nothing either of them could do. And this man knew it.

“Stay back, Sentinel!” the man shouted, voice exhausted and desperate. “This Guide is mine now! So back off!”

His Guide? No! Saguru would never! He couldn’t! Bonding was a two way street. Even if the Sentinel pushed himself on Saguru, he would never-!

A low growl filled the area.

Saguru looked over with wide eyes to see Hattori baring his teeth, eyes glazed in a Rage.

“Oh-ho!” The voice in his ear laughed. “Looks like your friend there is pretty high level, huh? Too bad, that means his instincts are too strong for him. He wants to save you, but he won’t dare do anything to put you in danger.”

Hattori’s growl sharpened as he took a step forward, but a shift of the knife against Saguru’s neck had him lowering his stance with a whine.

Saguru could hear the inner struggle of _need to help **. Hurting Guide.** Can’t get close. **Can’t hurt Guide!**_

Hattori’s hands were tied.

“I’d almost feel bed for him, if it didn’t work in my favor so much,” the voice said as the man forced Saguru to walk forward with him. The knife shifted against Saguru’s neck, but didn’t dig in. “What do you think? Will he stay still for me so long as you’re in danger? Can I slit his throat, right here, right now, as long as I’ve got you in my grasp?”

“Don’t-!” Saguru cut off at the jerk of the knife. A prick of pain, a bead of blood. Hattori’s growl sharpened, but he remained where he was, a snarling statue.

“I don’t have to, you know,” the man said. “I’m not actually a fan of killing anyone, especially not someone who’s in the same position as me.”

 _Position_? Saguru wondered, brain working overtime to find a solution.

“But the decision isn’t mine. It’s _yours_.” The breath in his ear sent a shudder rolling down Saguru’s spine. “You see, I’m in a bit of trouble. Have been for a while. I’m a 2S, which isn’t much, unless those two senses are Taste and Smell. Makes being a sommelier near _agony_.”

Saguru kept one ear on the man’s monologue as his eyes searched for any tools at his disposal.

“Oh, I tried to go about it the legal way. Signed myself up at the Center and everything. Waited for someone to get into contact with me. I went for weeks and weeks with nothing, then _finally_ , a call, a rank D Guide, just what I needed.”

Hattori was out, his Rage immobilizing him. Conan was slumped against the tree, out cold. Saguru didn’t have any weapons on him, none that he could reach without the Sentinel reacting first.

“He and I met up. Got to know each other. But he was cautious. Didn’t want to put in our Match paperwork until he was absolutely sure.” A better laugh. “That should have been the first warning sign, huh?”

Saguru shifted his weight, testing his captor’s hold. Perhaps he could surprise him? If he could get the knife out of the other’s hands, Saguru would no longer be in danger and Hattori could move in to finish the Sentinel off.

“We continued our unofficial Match, meeting up in expensive restaurants and high-end cinemas. After every time, I’d ask, but he’d just brush me off with another excuse.” The voice turned heavy with anger and murderous intent. Saguru could _feel_ it, like spiders across his skin. It made him sick.

Saguru subtly tested him, but the man’s grip held firm. He didn’t even seem to realize what Saguru had tried to do. Based on what Saguru could guess of his weight and height, he shouldn’t be this strong. Was it adrenaline?

“I saw him one day, hanging out with his friends. I was about to call out when I heard it. Him and his friends laughing over me.” The hand with the knife clenched tighter, cutting another line in Saguru’s skin. “He wasn’t a Rank D Guide. He wasn’t a Guide at all! He had been leading me on all along! Using me as a free meal ticket, getting expensive presents –all while I suffered through a job that constantly put me on the edge of a Zone!”

Saguru felt those emotions spike, felt his stomach roll. Hattori looked to be on the edge of doing in something horribly stupid. Conan was…

Where was Conan?

“You know I had to kill him. He was no Guide –he had _lied_ to me. Killing him was the only right retribution for tarnishing the reputation of Guides everywhere. He put me in an awful position.” The voice turned from a growl to a croon.

It chilled Saguru’s blood to ice.

“But it’s okay. Because I found _you_. You and I… we can Bond and _everything_ can go back to normal.” Saguru flinched as a finger drew itself up his neck. “I’ll get rid of these pesky witnesses and the rest of _him_ and then we’ll go back like nothing ever happened! I’ll go back to being a sommelier and support you, give you a nice life – the one he _would have had_ , if he hadn’t _double-crossed_ me. All you have to do… is Bond with me.”

“I won’t!” Saguru gasped out past the knife and sick feeling in his stomach.

“You will.” The voice went dead, emotionless. The knife pulled away from his neck. “After all, no Guide can resist a Sentinel in pain.”

Hattori lunged forward. The man raised the knife, baring it down on the other Sentinel.

In that second, Saguru knew what would happen.

The man would stab Hattori before Hattori would be able to attack. Then he’d keep Saguru from calling for help until his Instincts drove him to desperation. He’d offer help in exchange for a Bond and Saguru would be in no position to refuse if he wanted Hattori to live.

In that second, Saguru saw the series of events. In that second, he knew there was no other end.

In the next second, a soccer ball came flying from the left to knock the attacker’s aim off and send the knife flying.

Hattori tackled the two, biting the man’s hand hard and tearing Saguru from his grip. Saguru fell off to the side, heart beating wildly in his chest. He whipped back around to find Hattori astride the foreign Sentinel, beating him with bloody knuckles. Whether the blood was his or the attacker’s, Saguru didn’t know.

He did know one thing. If Hattori didn’t stop, he would _kill_ the other. Hattori would be _lucky_ if it landed him permanently in the Center. The most likely case would land Hattori in jail, or _worse._

“Hattori!” Saguru lunged for him. “Hattori! Stop! You need to stop! _Heiji!”_

Hattori fought against him, trying to continue his assault on the unconscious man, before he suddenly fell limp. Saguru didn’t let go, in case it was a trap.

“It’s okay. He’s out cold.” The sudden words startled Saguru. He jerked his gaze about until he found Conan, walking over from behind a tree. Conan held up his watch by way of explanation. “Professor’s anesthetic needle. It’ll put him out for a good twenty minutes.”

Saguru stared at the boy as he walked over to the other Sentinel and nudged him with his foot. “This guy looks like he’ll be out a lot longer. Hattori really did a number on him. Won’t hurt to tie him up just in case though.”

Saguru continued to stare as the boy pulled a set of… suspenders? From his pocket and wrapped them in an intricate knot around the attacker’s hands, effectively cuffing him. The press of a button pulled them tight, making them inescapable.

Saguru was still staring when Conan straightened and looked back. The boy’s face turned concerned. “Hakuba… nii? Are you okay?”

Saguru opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn’t. His hands shook where they were knotted in Hattori’s shirt. His ribs spasmed, his breaths coming too quickly to be normal, but too easily to be a panic attack.

It felt like he was on the verge of hypothermia, the feeling in his extremities too cold.

“Hey, hey! It’s okay!” Conan said gently as he hurried over to stand at Saguru’s side. He put a hesitant hand on Saguru’s shoulder. It felt warm even through two layers of clothes. “You’re alive. You’re safe. You’ve got a couple cuts and are probably a little shaken up, but you’ll pull through! You’ve been in worse, right?”

Right? Right. Saguru had dealt with worse. He’s gone head-to-head with murderers and international criminals. He’s been held at gunpoint and taken for ransom before. He’d had too many brushes with Death to make a big deal out of this.

Yet he couldn’t get his hands to stop shaking.

“It’s all good.” Conan pressed a little closer, forcing Saguru’s gaze on him. “You stopped Hattori from becoming a killer and gave me an opening to take out the other guy. And you found me! Everything turned out okay and everyone is accounted for.”

Saguru wasn’t sure he actually believed Conan, but his words were a gentle cadence against Saguru’s frazzled mind. He managed to unclench one hand from Hattori’s shirt in order to drag Conan in close. It still shook far too much.

“Right, yes. Okay,” Conan said, obviously uncomfortable with the sudden contact. To Saguru’s relief, he didn’t pull away. “This is fine. We can do this. For however long you need. We’ll just sit here… quietly…”

“Keep talking?” Saguru pleaded. The quiet was too much at that moment.

So Conan did. He talked about all he and the Shounen-Tantei-dan had been up to that weekend. He mentioned KID’s heist and, when that made Saguru flinch, turned over to naming each of his friends and describing the different scenarios they’d been caught in so far. It seemed like the Shounen Tantei-dan had never heard the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’.

Saguru was just thinking that Conan got into _far_ too much trouble for any normal 6-year-old, when the boy paused and patted his shoulder. “Are you okay now?”

No, Saguru was not okay. But he was doing a lot better now and could compartmentalize enough to get them out of the forest. “I’m as good as I’ll get for now.”

“Great, ‘cause the anesthetic needle is only going to keep Hattori out for another five minutes, and he’ll probably come out of it in a Rage,” Conan said, with a hinting tone in his voice. “And with that guy still out over there…”

Right, Hattori would go after him first chance he got. Saguru took a deep breath and got down to business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I got a lot of comments about Saguru figuring Conan out at the end of the last chapter and... yeah, I could see that. But the idea here is that Hattori already got Conan to take his medication and way-laid Saguru enough for the dose to hit his system before the Guide used his mind powers.
> 
> So... kudos to you if you figured that out! :) I am apparently more subtle than I give myself credit for.
> 
> Also, don't forget to vote in the [poll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17474012/chapters/49493087). Results will be displayed Feb. 29th in my Hiatus notice (Chapter 6 of the same work). Only two weeks left, guys! :D So exciting!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS- Little early this week. My mom's birthday is tomorrow, so I'm spending the day with her.
> 
> Also! Last chapter in this! :) The Hiatus notice will be posted next week along with the final poll results! So make sure to get votes in before then!
> 
> As for this week's other fandom one shot, a Full Metal Alchemist AU is waiting for those who want to read it. :) 
> 
> For those of you sticking around to read, please enjoy the final chapter of SGN part 8!

Fifteen minutes later, Hattori was back to normal, though his anger lingered. He had the man slung over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and didn’t look happy about it in the least. He didn’t complain when Saguru picked Conan up for the trek back though. Hattori just glared at Conan and rolled his eyes when the kid made a face.

With Hattori lucid again, finding the trail Saguru had taken through the forest was easy. Easier than the trail Hattori had first followed even.

“It’s like you took a straight line to us,” Hattori commented. “How did you find us like that? Thought your animal thing only let you see through their eyes?”

“It does. Even if I saw you through them, it would be like watching a security camera. You could have been gone before I got there —and that was _if_ I could find my way.” Saguru grew quiet. “I’m not sure you’ll believe me if I told you.”

Saguru wasn’t sure if he believed _himself_.

Hattori shot a look down at Conan before scoffing. “Try me.”

“… It was a wolf,” Saguru said. “It led me through the forest right to you.”

“Japan doesn’t have wolves,” Hattori said, matter-of-factly. His expression hinted at interest though, rather than derision.

“It does not, but I know what I saw. It didn’t act much like a wolf, not wild at all. Too domesticated. Perhaps it was a wolf-dog or something…” Saguru cast a glance Hattori’s way. “You believe me?”

“I have no proof one way or the other,” Hattori said, not confirming, “But I can’t say it isn’t possible. I think someone might have lost pets out here without a ranger knowing about it.”

“Really?” Saguru perked in interest. “Why’s that?”

“Because for half the time I was running, this freakin’ cat kept following me and howlin’.” Hattori scowled, obviously annoyed. “It’s like those videos of cats wanting food, you know? And they scream bloody-murder until you feed ‘em?”

“It certainly would make sense if the cat was domestic at one point and recognized you as a food source,” Saguru agreed. “But as for a wolf…?”

“There… is another solution to this,” Hattori said, thoughtful.

“Which is?” Saguru prompted.

“Well… and hear me out on this.” Hattori made a face before looking over at Saguru with concern. “I didn’t smell the cat.”

“Huh?”

“I was tracking Conan, getting a lot of scents from the surroundings —animals that were around or had left. The cat came from upwind.” Hattori frowned. “I should have been able to catch _something_ , but…”

“Nothing,” Saguru finished for him. “Same with me.”

“Yeah?” Hattori looked pleasantly surprised.

Saguru nodded. “I couldn’t feel the wolf’s mind, couldn’t tap into it. It was like…”

“It wasn’t actually there.” Hattori’s lips twisted into a challenging grin. “And then it was actually _gone_ —?”

“Without a trace,” Saguru agreed. “You’re right. I could see the possibility of that.”

“Of what?” Conan asked. He’d been watching the two go back and forth with increasingly less information to go on. He’d had enough, Saguru recognized from his face. His annoyance was a low buzz against Saguru’s shoulders, but it wasn’t particularly intense. “What are you talking about?”

“Spirit animals,” Saguru said. “Or more like guides for Sentinel-Guide pairs.”

“Sometimes, they will show themselves before a Bond,” Hattori continued. “But usually only after —and rarely at that.”

Saguru paused and looked to Hattori. “I thought they only came in time of great peril?”

Hattori shrugged. “Maybe you were in trouble.”

“Lost in the woods?” Saguru gave him a baleful look. “I would have been fine. I knew which way was down the mountain. At the very least, I would have been found by one of the search parties.”

“Maybe.” Hattori cast a glance at the man slung over his shoulder. “Or maybe you were in more trouble than you realized.”

Saguru shivered and tightened his grip on Conan.

It was true. With how soon the Sentinel had showed up after Saguru entered the tiny clearing, he couldn’t have been too far behind. He’d said his senses were Smell and Taste, two closely entwined senses. He could have been tracking Saguru for all he knew.

And he had not been any wiser.

Saguru shivered again.

“So Hattori-nii’s animal is a cat?” Conan scrunched up his nose. “I don’t see it.”

“What? No way!” Hattori squawked. “Mine was definitely the wolf!”

Saguru’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying the cat had to be mine then?”

“Obviously!” Hattori huffed. “An animal that loud and annoying couldn’t be mine!”

“I don’t know…” Conan grinned teasingly. “You do seem to do a lot of yowling, especially when Kazuha-nee-chan is around.”

Saguru stiffened at the reminder of the other Guide, but Hattori didn’t seem to notice.

“Oi, oi! I do not!” Hattori argued. “And she’s always the one that starts it!”

“I never said anything about starting.”

Hattori glared at Conan, but in the way that friends did when they’d had enough teasing. Conan just beamed back like the clueless six-year-old he was.

Saguru just let out a sigh and followed along quietly.

Soon enough, they met up with a search party that radioed in. Hattori handed off the killer they’d caught and, subsequently, ended up with an escort himself for going down the mountain. Even if it had been in Saguru’s defense, he had still committed assault.

His Rage and age would be taken into account, likely getting him off the hook for anything more than community service, but it would go on his record and could incriminate him in the future.

Saguru frowned at the thought.

Hattori’s protective instincts were particularly violent. In the Edo period of warring clans, this would be seen as an advantage as it meant he would do anything to protect his Guide. In modern times, it was anything _but_ advantageous. They needed to Bond and soon.

“Hattori-nii, how come you won’t take your hand out of your pocket?” Conan asked suddenly. “Do you have something cool in there?”

“What? No, I don’t have — _hey_!” Hattori flailed when Conan yanked his hand from his jacket pocket. He hissed and made pained noises before pulling it from Conan’s grip. “Watch it!”

“You got hurt,” Conan said, all joking gone from his voice.

“No. I’m fine!” Hattori argued, his gaze passing over Saguru. “Nothing to worry about.”

Saguru frowned. “That’s for the EMTs to decide. Let’s get you looked at.”

“I don’t need to be —oi, oi!” Hattori stumbled after Saguru as he led them to an ambulance.

The EMT declared what Saguru had already suspected. Hattori had made his injuries from last weekend worse.

“I’m _fine_ ,” Hattori insisted.

“You added another four weeks onto your recovery time,” Saguru stated.

“I’m fine,” Hattori insisted again. “I don’t need to go to the ER either!”

Saguru waved off the EMT. “It’s fine. I can bandage him up. I’ve got training.”

The EMT shrugged and walked off to help corral the other Sentinel who had woken up and started to struggle. Officers were already swarming him, and one of the other EMTs had a sedative in hand. No doubt the Sentinel would be out like a light until they got him to the Center.

Saguru put his back to the chaos and focused on Hattori’s hand. He’s not sure he could have done it if he didn’t know Hattori was keeping an eye on the criminal. The other Sentinel had shaken Saguru _that bad_.

“I heard you,” Hattori said lowly, not taking his eyes off the commotion over Saguru’s shoulder. Saguru looked up, not understanding. Hattori explained. “When you called my name earlier. I heard.”

“… oh.” Saguru hadn’t realized he had, but replaying it back, he supposed he did. He winced and lowered his gaze back to his work. “I apologize. Tensions were high. It slipped out. I shouldn’t have…”

“It’s okay, you know,” Hattori said, interrupting Saguru before he could get worked up. “Calling me by my name. You can do that.”

Saguru’s jaw loosened as he looked up at Hattori with awe.

Names had been one of the things that he had struggled with most in Japan. In England, first names between friends were common, even among business associates too. In Japan, the right to call someone by their first name was _earned_.

Saguru didn’t feel like he’d earned anything. Then again, it wasn’t his choice to make, now was it?

“I suppose you can call me Saguru then,” he said as he smoothed the gauze in place and allowed Hattori to retrieve his hand and check his work. “I can’t guarantee I’ll remember at first.”

“I get it. It’s a change.” Hattori shrugged as if the honor wasn’t a big deal. To him, it probably wasn’t. To Saguru, he was the first person to allow him the right.

It was… nice. And strangely heavy. Saguru was sure that would disappear over time.

“Now, let’s give our statements and hit the road.” Hattori jumped off the gurney and stretched. “It’s _way_ too late —or early? —and I don’t want to get my schedule messed up for school.”

Ugh, right school. Saguru made a face.

Tomorrow, or technically _today_ , was Sunday, meaning they had less than 24 hours to catch up on sleep, homework and studies before classes came and with them…

Kuroba.

Who was _not_ Kaitou KID. Who couldn’t be because he was a Guide and KID was a Sentinel.

An echo of the Shock from the last heist made Saguru’s fingers clench into fists. Saguru took a deep breath to calm himself. He still had some time and the interruption to his night was starting to catch up to him. All he really wanted to do was go home and sleep.

“I hear ya,” Hattori said, startling Saguru. Had he said that out loud? “You can go ahead and catch a few hours on the ride over if you want. I’ll make sure you get to bed when we get there.”

Normally, Saguru would be affronted at the thought that he would need help of any sort for something so simple, but he was too tired to complain. The scare of an hour earlier and calming a Raging Hattori in addition to the Shock of only two days prior had worn on him. He was exhausted.

He wasn’t surprised at all that, the second they were safely in the car, he was back in blissful sleep.

* * * * *

It was still early in the morning when Agasa came to pick Conan up. The kids were asleep at the hotel, but Haibara had decided to come along.

“Just to make sure you didn’t die in the lamest way possible,” she said, but Conan could hear the concern in her voice. He could hear a lot more things lately. He didn’t like what that meant.

“Thank you for finding him, Inspector Yokomizo!” Agasa bowed respectfully to the inspector. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble?”

“The Sentinel is the one that found him,” the inspector said, looking off in the way Hattori and Hakuba’s car had just gone. “Along with our rogue Sentinel murderer. I’m just glad nothing else happened.”

“Well, thank you for all your hard work!” Agasa bowed again and ducked away to usher Haibara and Conan to the car. For once, Haibara joined Conan in the back seat. From the expression on her face, he knew it was going to be a serious talk.

“When you found us, you were already in a Rage,” she noted. Conan didn’t say anything, prompting her to look over at him. “It was only four hours then since you took the last dose. Senes-5 isn’t working anymore.”

“Ayumi screamed,” Conan explained. “For as much as those kids have gone through, none of them scare easily anymore. I knew it was something terrible. I had to help them.”

“Hmm… Your Sentinel Instincts managed to kick start your drive to protect your tribe, which then pushed your straight from Neutral into a Rage.” Haibara leaned back, head bowed and eyes closed. “That doesn’t mean I’m not right. You’ll have to switch to Senes-4.”

“I agree, but for how long?” Conan gritted his teeth. “Senes-5 was supposed to last me another year! And Senes-4 a year and a half on top of that! If I can’t even last six months? How am I going to take down the Black Organization when I can’t keep myself together?!”

“I know that you had wanted to wait until after you were Kudou again to find a Guide…” Haibara looked over at him, sorrow in her eyes. “But you may need to move that time table up. The next time you see KID, make a plan.”

“I… don’t know if he even wants to Bond,” Conan said lowly.

“ _What_!?” Haibara stared at him, wide-eyed.

“He said he would be willing to help, but…” Conan tightened his fingers in his jeans. They were streaked with mud and grass stains. “He never actually promised to _Bond_ with me.”

Haibara didn’t immediately reply. She took a long moment, just _staring_ at him before she let out a slow breath.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Haibara said.

“We?”

“Here’s what _you_ are going to do.” Haibara gave him a sharp look. “When you see KID, you are going to ask him about it. No riddles, no subtlety, you are going to go out there like the blunt idiot you are and _ask him_.”

“Hey!”

“And if he says ‘yes’, then you two will make a plan,” Haibara insisted, ignoring his disparaged cry. “I don’t care if that plan includes final Bonding or not, but you _will_ have some kind of plan together.”

“And… if he doesn’t say ‘yes’?” Conan asked, fear causing his heart to quicken.

“Then you will cut your losses and find someone else,” Haibara said, coldly and stubbornly. “If the thief is not willing to help you in that regard, then you have no reason to be led on. You have too much at stake to let your hopes ride on the whims of a two-bit criminal.”

Conan wanted to argue that KID was _anything_ but a two-bit criminal, but he knew that wasn’t what Haibara was getting at. His time was short —shorter than Hattori’s. Conan needed to find a Guide, one either in-the-know or who he could trust with his identity, and he had less than a year to find them.

If that Guide wasn’t Kaito, then he would need to start looking.

(His heart ached at the thought, but he shoved it down. Now wasn’t the time to grow sentimental. Now was the time to act.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stakes are set, the risks laid plain. We'll have to see just what Conan and Kaito decide. :) 
> 
> Next up in this series is going to be two 'collection' fics that touch on a variety of things I haven't covered in this universe yet (like Conan's parents or the Center). If there's anything you want to see more of or want more explanation for, please let a comment and I'll do my best to work it into the next fics.
> 
> Also, don't forget to vote in the [poll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17474012/chapters/49493087). Results will be displayed Feb. 29th in my Hiatus notice (Chapter 6 of the same work). Let's make sure there isn't a tie, okay? I haven't tallied the most recent ones yet, but I do have a plan in place for if we come to a tie. 
> 
> See you all next week for the poll results! :)

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to say 'Good Job!' or 'Update Soon!' or 'Longer please!', just leave a Kudo. (Or a Kaito... or maybe a Hattori or Hakuba. They are currently outnumbered. ;) )
> 
> If you have some critiques, please leave a comment below. I'm always looking to improve my skills, so any little bit helps.
> 
> If you want to leave a comment, but don't know what to say or what I'm looking for in comments, I've put a short outline of what I usually leave on stories in my profile. To find it, click on my pseudonym and then on the Profile tab


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